WhenErnestwasinhissecondyear，Theobald，asIhavealreadysaid，begantoteachhimtoread。Hebegantowhiphimtwodaysafterhehadbeguntoteachhim。
“Itwaspainful。”ashesaidtoChristina，butitwastheonlythingtodoanditwasdone。Thechildwaspuny，whiteandsickly，sotheysentcontinuallyforthedoctorwhodosedhimwithcalomelandJames’spowder。Allwasdoneinlove，anxiety，timidity，stupidity，andimpatience。Theywerestupidinlittlethings；andhethatisstupidinlittlewillbestupidalsoinmuch。
PresentlyoldMrPontifexdied，andthencametherevelationofthelittlealterationhehadmadeinhiswillsimultaneouslywithhisbequesttoErnest。Itwasratherhardtobear，especiallyastherewasnowayofconveyingabitoftheirmindstothetestatornowthathecouldnolongerhurtthem。Asregardstheboyhimselfanyonemustseethatthebequestwouldbeanunmitigatedmisfortunetohim。Toleavehimasmallindependencewasperhapsthegreatestinjurywhichonecouldinflictuponayoungman。Itwouldcripplehisenergies，anddeadenhisdesireforactiveemployment。Manyayouthwasledintoevilcoursesbytheknowledgethatonarrivingatmajorityhewouldcomeintoafewthousands。Theymightsurelyhavebeentrustedtohavetheirboy’sinterestsatheart，andmustbebetterjudgesofthoseintereststhanhe，attwenty-one，couldbeexpectedtobe：besidesifJonadab，thesonofRechab’sfather——orperhapsitmightbesimplerunderthecircumstancestosayRechabatonce——ifRechab，then，hadlefthandsomelegaciestohisgrandchildren——whyJonadabmightnothavefoundthosechildrensoeasytodealwith，etc。“Mydear。”saidTheobald，afterhavingdiscussedthematterwithChristinaforthetwentiethtime，“mydear，theonlythingtoguideandconsoleusundermisfortunesofthiskindistotakerefugeinpracticalwork。IwillgoandpayavisittoMrsThompson。”
OnthosedaysMrsThompsonwouldbetoldthathersinswereallwashedwhite，etc。，alittlesoonerandalittlemoreperemptorilythanonothers。
IusedtostayatBattersbyforadayortwosometimes，whilemygodsonandhisbrotherandsisterwerechildren。IhardlyknowwhyIwent，forTheobaldandIgrewmoreandmoreapart，butonegetsintogroovessometimes，andthesupposedfriendshipbetweenmyselfandthePontifexescontinuedtoexist，thoughitwasnowlittlemorethanrudimentary。Mygodsonpleasedmemorethaneitheroftheotherchildren，buthehadnotmuchofthebuoyancyofchildhood，andwasmorelikeapuny，sallowlittleoldmanthanIliked。Theyoungpeople，however，wereveryreadytobefriendly。